title: Effect of relative hypoparathyroidism on the responsiveness to recombinant human erythropoietin in chronic hemodialysis patients: a single Saudi center experience.
abstract: Anemia is a common concomitant disorder in dialysis patients. The responsiveness to recombinant human erythropoietin in hemodialysis (HD) patients with relative hypoparathyroidism [4 ≤ intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) ≤16.5 pmol/L] remains undetermined. We retrospectively studied 70 chronic hemodialysis patients who were divided into two groups: Group A (32 patients) had 16.5 ≤ iPTH levels <33.5 pmol/L and Group B (38 patients) had 4 ≥ iPTH≤16.5 pmol/L during the preceding six months without 1- (OH) Vitamin D3 administration. The percentage of female gender was significantly higher in Group B compared with Group A (P = 0.018). In Groups A and B, the mean weekly recombinant human erythropoietin dose (U/kg/ week) was 227.96 ± 95.24 vs. 154.1 ± 84.9 (P = 0.001) and the mean hemoglobin level was 11.15 ± 0.63 g/dL versus 11.62 ± 0.63 g/dL (P = 0.008). There was no significant statistical difference regarding the other biochemical markers (serum ferritin, iron saturation, serum Ca, serum alkaline phosphatase, C-reactive protein, serum B12, serum folate levels, residual renal function and Kt/v) between the groups. If other factors related to anemia are excluded in chronic HD patients, the lower the iPTH level (relative hypoparathyroidism) the better the responsiveness to recombinant human erythropoietin.
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Division, Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Al Saran
authors.forename: Alaa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sabry
authors.forename: Ashraf H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Hassan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007011:Hypoparathyroidism / Q000150:complications*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin